• When I write of mango, I have no doubt in my mind, no for a single moment, that this is the king of all fruit. To top the long list of varieties of mangoes, is the alphonso. The luscious fruit has such a wonderful colour, fragrance and taste, one can go on eating it. Grown mainly in the western strip of India, this variety of mango is the most valued, most commercially viable, and takes place of pride in a wide range of almost 250 odd varieties. A small state like Goa, boasts of over 30 varieties of mango.

• Other popular varieties include paayri, malgoba, dasheri, langda, tothapuri and even baingan palli. Each one of them has their own taste and aroma. Though mangoes are now available globally, and some varieties are also grown abroad, the Indian mango is still far ahead of any other varieties available.

• Though this bounty of nature is available for hardly 4 months in the whole year, one tends to stretch his means and go beyond normal efforts to enjoy this wonderful fruit for as long as possible.

• Indian make use of not only the fruit of mango plant, but the flowers, and even the stone inside the mango is used in cookery! The leaves are strung with golden marigolds and hung over doorways and entrances to mark festivity and goodwill, like in diwali, dussehra, etc.

• Raw mango is cut into slices and dried in the hot sun till brittle. These slices are then used to either make chutney called "amchoor" or added to dehydrated vegetables to add sourness to the dish. Or, it is powdered and used as a souring agent in many dishes in Indian cooking, called amchoor powder.

• Fresh raw mangoes are used either in pickles made with and without oil (refer recipes in pickles section), salads, and to make a wonderful cooling chilled drink that helps cool off in the hot, hot Indian summers called "aam ka panna".

• This stage of mango is used to make fresh vegetable and marmalades too.
• The ripe mango is used most of all and first of all to cut and relish as they are. The slices are eaten, leaving behind the skins. Mango pulp is prepared from the alphonso and paayri varieties. This can be preserved or frozen and used much later, when the season has gone.

• Fresh ripe alphonso mango are cut in cubes and served with hot phulkas, as a substitute to the daily drudge of vegetables.

• One can use the ripe mango in a limitless variety of puddings, icecreams, shakes, jellies, pies, desserts and sweet dishes.

• The stone of the ripe alsphonso mangoes are dried in the hot sun. When brittle the shell is broken gently with a stone, and inner kernel removed. This is then chopped fine, and dried in the sun again. When the pieces are completely dried one can store them indefinitely. A tasty vegetable can be made from these pieces, as and when required.

• One can go on about the mango in a neverending narration. However, since the season is here, best you enjoy this fruit to the fullest and in its most varied forms, and even stash some away for later, when you yearn for it.

How to use mangoes for Pickles

• Use the fully grown, but stone-raw mangoes for this purpose. (The large omellete and paayri varieties are suitable. )
• Wash and wipe mangoes clean and dry.
• Chop into inch size pieces, skin, stone and all.
• Put in a wide mouthed jar, sprinkle about 1 tbsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder to 1 kg. of pieces.
• Close lid and shake jar well.
• Stand undisturbed for 1 day.
• Shake again.
• Water should have form by now.
• Drain pieces into large colander.
• When water gets fully drained, spread out pieces on a clean cloth in the hot sun, to dry.
• Sooner they dry lesser chances of them turning blackish.
• They should be firm, but soft to touch.
• They should not be mushy or even fully soft.
• These pieces can now be used to make varied pickles, eg. Spicy mango pickle